Greater Honeyguide.
Way up high in the acacia tree in the front garden
When it was mentioned to my son’s friend who’s a bit of an ornithologist-type person that we had seen and photographed a Greater Honeyguide, he was adamant we had misidentified the bird as they are not usually found in suburbia. Oh really? says I.
Guess what?
Not the best shots by a long chalk. However, we were thrilled nonetheless. This makes 55 species!
And another new species …
Ransoma Jansoni
Don’t ask … I didn’t name it! But it’s a first for us at The Ark’s.
Looking down Steyn Street yesterday morning.
And more on the Great Sweet Potato Experiment…
Lots of roots, and several good size shoots.
So, I broke off two of the largest shoots and planted one directly into soil (left) and the other in water (right) to see which establishes decent roots quicker.
After a day or three we’ll check on both to see the ”winner” and then they will be planted out.
It probably won’t make any difference to the Sweet Potato but it’s a bit of fun to try something different.
And for Nan! ….
Having been (apparently) absent from the garden for a summer or two I must confess my heart skipped a beat when I noticed this little beauty on a cosmos two mornings ago.
She had already folded over one of the cosmos’ petals in order to build a nest, a sure sign motherhood is on the horizon. If you look very closely at her ‘middle’ you will see two little brown legs – a male, clinging on (for dear life I shouldn’t be surprised!)
*Sigh*
Yes, I know. I’m puddled in the head!
First time I have ever attempted to grow this herb.
So now I’m a Rocket Man! Eat your heart out, Sir Elton.
Emily’s Cakes
Plain and Simple … almost. Decorated in hand made flowers.
No explanation needed for the next two photos.
No football this weekend. What will I do?
Enjoy the weekend.
Ark
A Tale Unfolds 
The cake looks really good.
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Avocados just waiting for some soil
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So, plant ’em out, Mister Z!
I have three in pots that have just poked their heads above the soil.
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Avocados? Cool.
There’s heaps of them around here (although they’re wildly outnumbered by mango trees), so I’m not too sure where to drop them. They’re a bigass tree, so I need to find some good sky.
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I thought you were attempting to start them for your own garden?
They can get very big and that’s no maybe.
There was an established avo tree in the first house we bought and although the garden was not like this one it dominated the place!
Produced some fabulous avos!
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We don’t have room for another monster, but we back on a park which already has a big avocado tree… which, I think, will be getting a little brother and sister in a few months. We’ve potted the seeds and will wait till they’re kicking along before planting.
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I’m sure you know that your thoughtfulness is soooo appreciated. 😖
That bird looks like it needs a good brushing … and what in the world is that edifice in those last two pictures???!!??
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As Willy Nelson once sang: you are (always) on my mind!
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Sweet potatoes are looking good. I’m following your experiment closely.
Beautiful cake, wondrous sunset and I love the fluffy Greater Honeyguide. Good spot there!
No football this weekend but did you see England last night? Five goals in the first half! Even I was watching. 🙂
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Didn ‘t watch it. But 8-0? Aren’ t North Macedonia milkmen and bakers in real life? https://media.tenor.com/images/ebb0b1b172c81f6a5b615661d90917e4/tenor.gif
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Congrats on the new species. I insist you should write a book. “My birds and other humans.” (Oh. Durrell already did that?)
Are you fingers turning green or is my colourblindness getting worse?
No football? What is the government doing?
Cheers.
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Dear old Gerald! His books were a firm favorite growing up in England.
Book? Hmm… I reckon I’ll leave that to more knowledgeable folk. I’ll stick to my amateur scribblings and fuzzy photos and the reader’s imagination can fill in the blanks!
My gardening adventures are all because of others I have read and watched, and then maybe a little tweaking based on what’s happening in my own garden.
The real problem with any mishaps with growing stuff is one has to wait a whole season before having a go at fixing what went wrong. not to mention none of us are getting any younger!
There is football, in actual fact – a whole bunch of internationals, but even one as nuts as me can get the feeling of being overdosed at times so I usually skip the internationals unless it’s the World Cup proper.
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I discovered and read Durrell (much better than older bro Larry in my mind) as a teen in Kenya. A wonderful combination.
I admire people with a knack and a will for gardening. I confess I don’t have the patience. (And on top of it, it does require a lot of bending and kneeling that my back does not allow “no more”. I’ll follow your green adventures form afar.
And as football, I am a heathen indeed. The little I followed was in the 70’s, I had a friend from Brazil who was obviously a big fan. But I must confess the game seems to have changed so much I barely recognize it. Sooo.
‘Meantime, have a great week.
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Thank you Brian, I will most certainly endeavour to enjoy it.
It is bloody hot out here this week, and the mercury is up to 34c at the moment, according to Accuweather, with the ‘Real Feel’ sitting at 36c.
I must confess, until a few years ago I could not see the point of gardening either, even though my dad used to grow a few veggies now and then.
But once you get over the initial hump of sorting out the plot and the soil the sight of green things popping up all over the place is a real thrill. And then, of course, the joy of harvesting and eating what you have grown. Believe me, no comparison to shop bought.
And I always try to over-sow so’s that I get to give stuff away too, which is also fun!
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I keep forgetting you guys are in winter… Enjoy the heat. Bloody cold here in Mexico city. The house was at 15C this morning…
I fully understand all the thrills of watching nature grow. Plus the taste, plus the gifts to friends and family.
There is a story about my grandfather I will try to write before the end of year: “A carrot by the railroad.” You should like it. Cheers my friend.
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I keep forgetting you guys are in winter
Er … typo, Mister B?
😉
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Totally. Typo. The other way round… It must have been a slip of the tongue, since I’m in NY right now. Reeeeally freezing my butt off. temperatures in the 30’s-40’s… Jesus! I’d forgotten how it is… Take care.
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You definitely get around Mister B.
A real globe trotter, it seems.
Hope to see some photos of the Big Apple, yes?
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Working on that. Just came back last night. New York is only 4 hours away. Don’t know why we hadn’t been in a while. Will prepare a NY series.
Watch out for the new SA variant…
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As you probably know by now, Brian, we have been ”banned”.
*Sigh*
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Being a nice king gentle inoffensive soul myself, who wouldn’t annoy anyone anywhere anyhow anytime at all, ever ever ever … who hath banned thee, and for wot reathonth? (Dammit, thith biblical thpeech ith indeed an impediment).
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Tell me who hath banned thee, and I shall use my personal hot-line to God to put in a good word for you: who knows, if Big G is in a good mood He might throw in a plague of frogs and a couple of thunderbolts on your behalf.
But—if you’re pulling his Holy Leg be prepared for repercussions. Big G don’t take too kindly to humourism (He may be The Creator and infinitely everything but His sense of humour good do with a good polish) (and He’s not at all much on sarcasm—keeps his ‘Ready Use’ ammo boxes full of thunderbolts and stuff, all fused and primed; be warned.)
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Europe. So, in this case as Yahweh is the primary cause he doesn’t seem inclined to push the unbanned button just yet.
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Europe itself hath banned thee? Sheesh, I didn’t know they could do that. Censorship, when closed minds make their point with armed force. Got some asbestos knickers? The stake will be next …
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Yeah. Just heard that. My MD daughter is concerned. Though there is practically no significant info to-date… We have another trip scheduled to Colombia in December (incorrigible?), my wife is Colombian and she hasn’t seen her family for two years now. Quite desperate to, but I’m not sure borders are not gonna close again.
Stay safe Mate.
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And if you have been personally banned, that sounds very much like an admission of defeat (or an abject blatant surrender) on the part of someone who cannot take the heat. Well done, thou tried and true servant/pal/buddy/ comrade/shipmate wotever. I think a disengagement, which means the same thing—someone trying to retreat under cover of smoke.
Excelsior, I say, onwards and upwards!
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